Chris Barnes earned his fifth career PBA title, defeating Tommy Jones to win the Japan Cup and $40,000 at Tokyo last week.
"I bowled better last year in the TV match," said the top-seeded Barnes, who led the round-robin of the 2002 event but was upset by Robert Smith in the final. "But this year I was more fortunate."
Jones beat four opponents on his way to the championship match and became only the second to reach the final match from the bottom spot. But he suffered three 2-10 splits while Barnes repeatedly caught good breaks.
Barnes fired six strikes and had the only three-bagger in the match, while Jones rolled five strikes and converted two spares to lose 210-179.
Jones defeated defending champion Robert Smith 235-187. Smith earned $4,500 for sixth place. In the second match Jones beat Ryan Shafer 266-214, and Shafer collected $5,000. Atlanta's Brian Voss took home $6,500 after losing the third match to Jones 193-192. In the semifinal Jones beat Clermont's Norm Duke, who earned $10,000. Jones collected $20,000.
In the preliminary exhibition event two weeks ago, Ocala's Walter Ray Williams Jr., won his second Dream Bowl at Yokohama, Japan, to become the first to win the event twice. He also won in 2000. The tournament was not a PBA event.
The PBA tour opens its 2003-04 season Wednesday with the Banquet Open at Council Bluffs, Iowa.
FIQ TO HYMAN: Diandra Hyman highlighted the best global showing for the United States since 1987 when she captured the Masters gold medal at the 15th Federation Internationale des Quilleurs World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Hyman, a right-hander from Dyer, Ind., beat Liza Clutario of the Philippines 400-390 in the two-game championship match. Hyman advanced to the title match with a 189-147 win over Korea's Lee Eun Ock in the stepladder semifinal.
Australia's Michael Little won the men's gold with a 430-375 victory over Team USA's Tim Mack. Little opened the stepladder with a 179-174 triumph over Mohammed Al Qubaisi of United Arab Emirates.
The gold and silver gave the United States nine medals, best of any country and its best since earning 11 in '87. Sweden was next with five medals, and England had four.
Besides her Masters gold, Hyman captured silver in all-events, silver in doubles and bronze in trios. Tampa's Lucy Sandelin teamed with Hyman in the doubles and made up the trio with Anita Manns and Hyman.
The 1987 U.S. squad won the team, doubles and all-events. That team included Dixie Hollins graduate Sue Holton, who won the trio event for a sweep of all but the singles competition.
SCORE ONE FOR SPECTER: Thanks to Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Pan American sports, including bowling, likely will remain part of the purposes of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
An early version of a Senate bill would have removed the Pan American Sports and Athletes from the USOC mission statement as part of the reform of the USOC. However, Specter worked with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and the Senate passed the bill.
WIBC: Jodi Musto and Altramese Webb collected Women's International Bowling Congress honors last week. Musto averaged 236 for the 2002-03 season at Sportsman's Bowl, third highest in WIBC history. She established the all-time high average of 240 during the 1998-99 season. Webb set a new WIBC mark for most 300 games in a season with seven.
